ORLANDO, Fla. — John Madden’s legacy following his death Tuesday reaches beyond the football field to the Orlando studio that makes the video game named after the Hall of Fame NFL coach and broadcaster.
“Our studio wouldn’t be what it is today without his unparalleled knowledge and significant influence on the game of football and its fans,” said Daryl Holt, vice president and general manager of EA Tiburon in Orlando, in a statement Wednesday.
“It’s a privilege to work on the game bearing his name, and I know I speak for our entire team, and especially for those of us who had the great honor of meeting John, in saying that he will be sorely missed.”
The popular "Madden NFL" video games have been worked on in central Florida since 1996 and generated billions of dollars in revenue. The studio, started in 1994 as Tiburon Entertainment, was acquired by Electronic Arts in 1998 after four years of working together.
EA revealed in 2018 the franchise had sold 130 million copies of the game.
The game’s most recent edition, "Madden NFL 22," was released on Aug. 20 and features Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes on the cover. It is the No. 3 selling video game of 2021 as of a Dec. 13 report from analysts NPD.
This year, gamers scored billions of touchdowns, 9.4 billion to be precise, according to EA’s 2021 year in gaming report.
“Anyone who has worked at EA Tiburon or played our games has experienced the spirit and passion of John Madden,” Holt said.
EA’s central Florida studio employed more than 800 people as of September and was still growing. The company is moving from its Maitland office to a new, 175,940-square-foot building between Amelia and Concord Streets in the Creative Village part of downtown Orlando.
California-based EA paid tribute to Madden on Twitter Tuesday.
“Today, we lost a hero,” the post said. “John Madden was synonymous with the sport of football for more than 50 years. His knowledge of the game was second only to his love for it, and his appreciation for everyone that ever stepped on the gridiron.”
The game brought Madden considerable money and fame, but turning down a chance to buy as much EA stock as he wanted during its initial public offering would end up being what the coach would call “the dumbest thing I ever did in my life,” according to an ESPN story.
A share went from $7.50 in 1989 to about $132 today.
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